Connecter end cap



Aug. 30, 1938. A. c. LUsHER I GONNEGTEREND CAP Filed March 26, 1957 Patented Aug. 3o, 193s Parent' orties CONNECTER END CAP Albert Lusher, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Cornpal'riy,4 Waterbury,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 26,

. 2 Claims.

' The present invention relates to connecters for wires, cables and the like, and more particularly to an end cap or ferrule for application to the reduced open wire receiving end of thecasing of the connecter.

While the end cap of this invention is applicable to connecters of Various constructionsrit is disclosed, for the purpose of illustration, as applied to the connecter 'set forth in the copending `application of William H. Barlow led March 25, 19,37 Serial No. 133,048.

An object of Vthis invention is to provide a cap or ferrule which may serve as a guide and pro tector for overlapping the outer ends of thejaws of the connecter so that when inserting a stranded cable it is impossible forthe strands to get in back of and caught on the jaws and so cause them to Jam.

Another object is to provide a, cap. or ferrule with a spring split or tongue portion extending into the open end of the connecter to resiliently grip the cable or `wire at a point outwardly of the ends of the jaws when retracted and in clamping position on the cable or wire; tending to act as a vibration dampener and prevent breakage of the cable at the mouth of the jaws.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cap or ferrule which serves as a gauge and reduces the diameter of the open end of the connecter to a point where it is impossible to insert a cable or wire larger than that for which the particular connecter is designed, and thus jam the connecter.

A still further object is to provide a cap or ferrule which serves as a reinforcement for the end of the connecter; which may be easily and inexpensively constructed and applied in position; which maintains the jaws open to the requisite extent to receive the cable; which pre- 40 vents necking of the wire by the jaws produced by forming a substantially-annular groove or depression in the wire to weaken the latter; and which may be attached to the connecter by staking at a desired number of points.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the inventionwill be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto. l

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several Views: l

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a connecter having end caps embodying the features of this invention applied thereto, show- 1937, Serial No. 133,285

ing the connecter jaws in projected position with their outer ends underlapping the cap.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same taken axially at right angles on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, showing the jaws retracted from the cap, at the left end for receiving a wire and at the right end clamped on the wire.

Figure 3 isv an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the left end of the connecter of Figure 1, showing the cap staked to the casing and the spring guide tongues overlapping the jaws ends for directing a wire or cable between the jaws.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of th-e cap.

Figure 5 is a detail enlarged perspective view of one of the connecter jaws, showing the inner side thereof with the beveled outer end, and

Figure 6 .is a detail enlarged perspective view of the combined jaw retainer and spring cap of the connecter.

Referring now to the drawing'the cap or ferrule of this invention is shown as applied to a connecter of the construction disclosed in the above referred to copending application of 'William H. Barlow. wherein Ill designates a tubular casing having tapering open ends Il through which the wires or cables IB may be introduced.

An expanding spring I3 is mounted in the casingli! and has on each end a cap I4 with a jaw -retainer projection l5 at its outer side about which are grouped a pluralityof. tapering jaws I6 slidably disposed in the adjacent tapering end II of the casing. As Shown in Figures 1 and 3 the outer ends of the jaws i6 terminate, when freed of the wire I8. a short distance inwardly of the extremity of the tapering end II of the casing and are normally urged into this projected position by the spring I3. The jaws l5 have beveled inner faces II at their forward ends acting as cam surfaces for the wire I8 to act against for retracting the jaws It and expandingrthe same, as shown in Figure 2 at the left end, for admitting the wire I8 between the jaws and into the throat of the connecter. The jaws I6 are provided with corrugated or otherwise roughened inner gripping surfaces I9 to engage the wire I8 L when the jaws are urged outwardly by the spring I 3.

The inner ends of the jaws I6 have studs 20 which extend inwardly and engage in radial openings Zi in the retainer projection I5 of the spring cap.

The end cap or ferrule of this invention comprises a cap body 23 which is adapted to be fitted against the tapering open end I I of the connecter casing, and has an outer wall 24 which flares slightly if desired as shown in Figure 3, and whiclr has a desiredY number of slots 28 extending lengthwise from its inner end to a desired depth to provide a spring section 29 which may be, as shown, in the form of a plurality ofY spring tongues. This spring section 29 of the caprtube overlaps and bears more orv less against thebeveled faces Il of the free ends'of the jaws, when projected and free of the wire I8, so that the ends of the jaws I6 .are held apart and are covered by the spring section 29 and so that the end of a wire or-cable cannot strike the tips of the jaws I6 and cannot jam thereagainst as the wire or cable-is introduced into the connecter. is particularly advantageous where a cable is usedwi'th the connecter, as the strands of the cable have a tendency to separate or unravel and-easily become-caught against the tips of the jaws. This cannot occur `with the use of the present cap.

. This spring section 29 lhas anadditional function as it yieldingly embraces therwire I8,V as` shown atthe rightend of Figure 2, when the wire is gripped between the jaws I6 and yieldingly supports the wire- I8. ata pointoutwardly of and spaced from-the-adjacent ends of the-gripping surfaces i9 of the jaws; dampening vibrations set up in the wire I84 and oisetting crystallation and breakage of the` wire at the outer ends of the Vjaws I6 'Ihe cap 23 may be of desired material, prefer-Y ably of a spring metal material, and may be of desired thickness to perform the abovedescribed formation and to protect the tapering end `ll of the casing against damage in handling and in coupling wires and cables thereto. YThe outerlwall Y or skirt. 24 of the cap may have any suitable form to Viit over the tapering end H of the casing and maybe staked theretoby'thepunch points as above described, orV may be secured to the casingvend l l in any other suitable manner.

This Y To retract the jaws I 6, particularly when releasing the wire l 8 from the connecter, the casing l0 has longitudinal slots 22 which opens the spring and caps I4 for the reception of an implement for engaging the caps to retract the same. Y

What isV claimed is:

1. An end cap for a connecter of the type having a tapering open ended casing and spring pressed jaws in the tapering end of the casing, comprising a cap body having a central'inturned tapering tubular portion of substantially the diameter of a wire for insertionin the connecter, said tubular portion having slots in its'inner end providing yielding tongues for engagement with theWire to tension the same against vibration, said cap adapted to' be secured over the open end ,of the casing'with the inner end of the tubular portion spaced from the inner wall'of the casing to receivertherea'bout and overlap the forward ends of the jaws when in initial forwardly pressed wire receiving position to guide the end of the Wire centrallyagainst and between the jaws.

2. An end cap for a wire connecterrhaving a casing with a tapering open end to receive a wire endwise therein and spring pressed jaws slidably mounted Yinjsaidtapering end of the' casing to engage the wire when inserted comprising anend Cap adapted to be secured overthe open extreme` ity of said-tapering` end of the casing and having an inturned tubular central:Y portion to project into saidopen extremity of the tapering end of the casing and having, an internal diameter. of substantially Ythe gauge of a/Wirie to be inserted to .determine the correct size of a wire for the opening between the jaws,said tubular central portion ofY the cap havingits, inner end reduced and slotted to provide a plurality of converging spring tongues for, yieldingV lengagement withthe Wire when A,inserted Vto tension, the vwire against vibration,V thel inner end ofthe tubular `central portionjof thercap adapted to provide an annular space thereabout within the tapering endof the casingfor the,rec ep tion of the outer endsrof Athe jaws when spring pressed intorinitial wirev re- V Y I Y ceiving positions, whereby thesaid tubularV central 

